BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – Charlie Owens, owner of Charlie’s Service Center vehicle-repair shop, couldn’t help himself this spring when he went to gather up a stray cat’s kittens for a customer who agreed to adopt them – and saw one kitten, bearing an amazing 24 toes, sadly staring up at him.
"I just couldn’t bear the way he was looking at me," Owens said. "So, I said, ‘Ah, OK, I’ll keep you.’ And that’s pretty much how this all began. He’s become a big part of this place, now."
Such is the tail, er, tale of Mr. Toes, the cream-colored cat who’s become the talk of Charlie’s Service Center, and Blountville itself, for his unusual feet: He has seven toes on each front paw and five on each rear one.
Mr. Toes’ 24 toes are far more than a normal cat possesses (18 total, or five in the front and four on the back). And it’s drawn him lots of attention that the average kitty might not be able to, um, grab.
Owens said people all over the area have stopped by his repair shop to see, pet and just plain spoil Mr. Toes. One customer even suggested the shop owner contact CNN about having a national story done on the unusual cat.
"I said, ‘No, because someone will see it on TV and might try to steal him,’" Owens said with a laugh. "He’s a special cat to me, but not just because of his feet. He’s definitely got a real personality to him."
Buddy Dillard, a friend of Owens, chuckles and added, "When you toss a ball at that cat, he can almost actually catch it. Those feet are like baseball gloves, almost."
In addition to his above-average fielding skills, Mr. Toes also loves riding in automobiles and walking patrol among the vehicles waiting to be serviced on Charlie’s lot.
And, according to Owens, the many-toed cat also gets along great with Lucy, a thick-bellied stray dog that the shop owner recently took in.
"They nip at each other every once in awhile, but they look out for each other," Owens said, as Mr. Toes curled up in his arms and Lucy contentedly sat in a chair, gnawing on a donut and black licorice.
But while Owens appreciates the unique nature of Mr. Toes, he said the likelihood of the cat producing more multi-digit felines are drawing slimmer by the day.
"Yep, I’m going to have him [neutered] next week," Owens said. "He’s starting to roam around a bit more. And he’s a handsome cat, too, with all those toes. I don’t think too many female cats will be able to resist him."
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